CARE is delighted with the news that Pat Sreytouch, committee member of the Solidarity Association of Beer Promoters in Cambodia (SABC), has been selected as a winner of the VXW Award. CARE has worked with Sreytouch and for many years and helped her to found SABC.
The VXW Award empowers activists to design mobile applications aimed at preventing violence against women and helping Cambodian women and girls feel more secure and safe by increasing access to information, services, or networks. The award is a partnership between The Asia Foundation, Golden Gekko, and Sabay Digital Corp, funded by UK Aid. Sreytouch is one of three winners of the award.
Originally working as a beer promoter herself, Sreytouch started her involvement with CARE eight years ago when she volunteered as a peer educator. She provided advice and training to other beer promoters on life skills such as health and dealing with difficult customers. When CARE helped SABC to become an independent organisation in 2009, Sreytouch became part of the executive committee of SABC and has been involved with this ever since.
Sreytouch continues to train women working in the entertainment sector while working to expand SABC’s membership. She also has a specific role in coordinating SABC’s activities under CARE’s Safe Workplaces, Safe Communities project, funded by the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. Sreytouch is responsible for everything from monitoring training progress to organising events with beer outlets to mark the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women.
Staff from CARE’s gender-based violence team believe Sreytouch was selected for her selflessness in supporting others. “Sreytouch is very active and sacrifices lots of time to provide advice to other women working in the beer industry,” says Senior Project Officer Kalyan Rath. “She often accompanies women to access health services or to report to the police and acts as a great role model for beer promoters.”
“Sreytouch has already made a huge contribution to ending violence against women in Cambodia,” says CARE Cambodia Country Director Stav Zotalis. “She has spent many years making sure women are able to protect themselves from HIV, stand up to sexual harassment and report incidences of violence. We feel she is very deserving of this award and look forward to seeing what she will achieve next.”
For Sreytouch, the VXW Award is the next step as she continues her vocation to protect women from violence. “When I got the award, I felt so happy and excited,” she says.”Volunteering has helped me to help myself and I am keen to continue this work to protect other women from violence.”
Learn more about CARE's partner SABC >
Learn more about Safe Workplaces, Safe Communities >